I f you had mentioned the term auction of cricketers about two years ago, people would have sniggered and rubbished the idea. But then things aren’t the same in cricket anymore, ever since the Indian Premier League came on the horizon. Auctions were introduced, players started earning even more, brands got a never-before-seen platform, and — most importantly — spectators got rivetting cricketing action.
The second edition of the Indian Premier League starts in April 2009, but the auction process will be underway on February 6, 2009 in Goa. A list of 114 players has been released by the governing body of the tournament and there are already quite a few names for whom there will be a clamour among the teams.
It’s the first time the England players will be a part of IPL and it’s no surprise that the teams would be queuing up to sign them. Leading the charts would be Kevin Pietersen; a big hitter and one of the most exciting talents in the world of cricket at the moment, Pietersen is touted as the first name on everyone’s wish list. He is closely followed by his compatriot Andrew Flintoff. In T20, there is a clamour for big hitters and Flintoff is one of the best names that we have today. Of course, Flintoff as a bowler also can be regarded as a quality addition to any team.
The format of T20 is such that you need players who can change the game on its head in a short span of time. Both Flintoff and Pietersen belong to that category. Don’t be surprised to see these two players in the most expensive list. Pietersen, according to some reports, has been given a base price of $1.3 million, while Flintoff, stands at $900,000. Pietersen, in fact, looks set to be the most expensive player in IPL after Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
As per the guidelines set by the governing council for IPL 2009, each franchisee will have a maximum purse of US $2 million. With most teams looking to cut costs and reduce their wage bills, we might not see similar auction prices as last year when Andrew Symonds, for instance, was selected for $1.35 million alone, to represent Deccan Chargers.
Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner, IPL, says that the enthusiasm and interest displayed by players from all around the world to participate in the second season of the league has been overwhelming. “We are extremely happy with the interest the league has garnered globally and look forward to the action at the auctions of players in Goa.”
However, the teams would be looking for shrewd buys as well. So there will be interest in picking up players who wouldn’t cost much but will still provide value for money. Australian veteran Brad Hogg is one player who is certain to fit the bill in that category this time. Similarly, South African JP Duminy is another player that many teams will be eyeing. Confirms a senior executive of one of the franchise: “We will be looking at the big names as well as the bargain buys to have a balanced team.” Don’t expect wholesale changes to the teams, he adds.
Michael Clarke, who opted out of the first season of IPL due to personal reasons, will be up for grabs. He is another big name which the teams are eyeing very closely. Aussie paceman Stuart Clark would also be an astute buy for many teams too.
The list of 114 players includes 21 Englishmen, 27 Australians and 13 players from South Africa. Then there are 15 players from Sri Lanka, while a host of others are from New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh. But as stated earlier, the focus would be on players from England. Apart from Pietersen and Flintoff, the likes of Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Danish Kaneria would be quality additions to any of the franchisees.
The Rajasthan Royals, last season showed that it’s not the big names that matter in the T20 format. So, even though Pietersen might fetch the maximum price, it’s no certainty that those numbers will translate similarly on the pitch. As franchisees gear up for the auction, there will be an anxious wait for many players — existing and the new ones — to see where they will end up. Whatever happens, the second season of IPL looks to begin on the same exciting note on which the first had ended.
Let the games begin.
